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As a diplomat for the Southern Water Tribe, Katara had traveled throughout the three nations and seen many amazing things, but she’d never seen a dragon. Until now, that was. Dragons were thought to be long extinct, hunted to death by the Fire Nation before its disastrous downfall. Yet here she stood, in a remote Earth Kingdom village, looking at a dragon.
There had been reports of a dangerous spirit on the loose near here, but when she’d gone to investigate she hadn’t expected a half dead creature thought to be extinct. He was sprawled across the forest floor, the scorched trees around him knocked over and clawed at. And even even covered nearly head to toe in grime and long dried blood he was magnificent, scarlet scales shining and beautiful.
Katara edged closer to him, taking care not to make any sudden movements. He seemed to be tolerating her presence for now but it was best to play it safe and avoid startling him. His luminous yellow eyes tracked her movement, his forked tongue darting out to taste the air as she came closer. His gaze was steady and intelligent as he observed her. Once she'd gotten close enough Katara reached out her hand wearily to touch him. The dragon flinched away for a second then stilled and allowed her to come closer, closing his eyes in defeat and dropping his head to the ground.
Katara ran her fingers over the smooth red scales on the crown of the dragon's head as she studied him. She wondered how he’d gotten here and how long he'd been grounded in this area due to his injuries. He hadn't made any move to attack her so for now she was going to assume that he wasn't in an overly aggressive mood. He'd probably gotten into a fight but he had clearly lost and didn't seem intent on fighting again. Katara had read about dragons before; they were described as magnificent and gigantic, but this particular one seemed small to her. He was only three or four times as big as her, his head about the size of her torso. According to her limited knowledge Katara knew that fully grown dragons were often ten times the size of humans. Perhaps this one was still young.
The dragon had several long gashes crisscrossed over his legs and torso and many of the scales around his left eye were missing, exposing the severely burned flesh underneath. His wounds were covered in dirt and debris, partially congealed blood oozing sluggishly from the largest gashes. He must have reopened them with all his thrashing about.
Katara drew some water from her pouch and lightly touched the wound around his eye to see if there was anything she could do about it. The dragon flinched and bared his teeth to make a growling noise, eyes snapping back open to glare at her in distrust.
Katara pulled her hand back slightly so that only the water was touching him. She tried to look as nonthreatening as possible. “I’m not here to hurt you,” she whispered, touching her other hand to the uninjured side of the dragon's face. He narrowed his eyes but didn't make any other movements.
“I just want to help,” Katara said, tentatively stroking the dragon's undamaged scales in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. The dragon watched her for a few more seconds then closed his eyes and leaned into her petting, seemingly having decided to trust her.
Smiling with relief, Katara gently prodded the dragon's wound with her water to check the damage. Her smile faded and she frowned. This wasn't new; this was an old wound. A few weeks old at least, which meant there wasn't much she could do about it. Fortunately much of the scar tissue had already set in, but the area around his eye was inflamed, most likely from infection.
Katara activated the water, using it to draw the infection to the surface and pull it out as gently as possible. The dragon made a whining noise and she stroked his scales, murmuring. “It’s all right, I’m not trying to hurt you. I just want to help.”
Katara went about her work as slowly and carefully as she could, but she couldn’t stop it from being painful. It took a lot of time and energy to clean out such an extreme wound and purge it of infection, and she grew tired quickly. After a long while the dragon's discomfort lessened and she pulled away to see how the inflammation had improved. Thankfully, it already looked much better, and the dragon had fully calmed and was being very cooperative with her healing attempts.
Satisfied with her work around his eye, Katara moved on to the gashes on his body, most of which seemed to be healing on their own and didn't require any immediate medical attention. She simply cleaned them out, knowing that she needed what was left of her energy to return to the village she was staying in that night.
The dragon opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her, blowing a warm puff of air in her direction where she knelt beside him. He looked just as tired as she felt, and Katara was exhausted.
She smiled and gently patted his scales one last time. “Well, that’s about all I can do for now, but I think you’ll recover.”
Katara stood up and brushed off her tunic. "If you're still here tomorrow I can come back to check on you." She bowed to show her respect, then turned around to head back towards the village. It was long past sunset by now and the family hosting her would probably be wondering where she was and how her meeting with the "spirit" had gone.
Katara had only taken a few steps forward before her progress was suddenly halted. The dragon had snagged his teeth in the skirt of her tunic and was trying to tug her back to him. She turned back towards him and carefully freed her tunic from his grasp, uncertain of what she should do and not wanting to anger him. The dragon clearly didn't want her to leave him. After a few seconds of indecision, she spoke. "I guess you could... come with me back to the town."
The dragon stared at Katara for a second, then rose shakily to his feet and began trudging behind her as she walked back to the town, his wings and tail leaving grooves in the dirt as he dragged them behind him.
That night Katara fell asleep with the dragon's warm body curled around her bed. She dreamed of a man with scars like the dragon's. His eyes were the same golden hue and he stared at her with the same intensity. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered her name, his voice a gentle rasp that sent shivers down her spine. She pressed her lips to his scar as she was enveloped by his warmth. "Who are you?" she asked. He smiled, his lips brushing across her cheek as he whispered his name into her ear.
Katara woke up the next morning only vaguely remembering her dream, looking around to see if the man she'd seen was still here. He wasn't, of course. It was just her and the dragon. She looked at him curiously but he offered no explanation or wisdom to her. He couldn't talk.
He simply watched, but she thought he understood.
The dragon healed quickly thanks to her attentions and within a few days was up and about, following Katara everywhere she went. He was very solitary, and Katara seemed to be the only exception to this rule. He wouldn't allow anyone but her near him, shrinking away from the village children when they tried to pet him then timidly nudging Katara with his snout to request she run her hands over his scales. They had a unspoken bond which needed no words; he was completely devoted to her.
He became her shadow, her constant companion, and Katara quickly grew used to it.
The dragon followed her as she travelled to Ba Sing Se to meet with the Earth King and the Avatar. It was a routine trip, but Katara was hoping Avatar Aang would have some insight into this. He was the same age as King Bumi, but unlike Bumi he was still completely sane in his old age and knew more about everything than anyone else she knew. Surely he would have some answers.
Avatar Aang gazed at the dragon, eyes glimmering with childlike wonder. "I thought they were extinct."
Katara nodded and absentmindedly stroked her fingers over the smooth scales on the dragon's head where it lightly rested on her shoulder. "So did I. But, well... I guess they aren't."
Aang stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Indeed." He turned towards her. "Does he have a name?"
Katara frowned. "Not that I know of. I've just been calling him 'Dragon.'"
"Well, if he's to be your guardian, you must give him a name."
Her eyes widened in surprise and she turned her head to look at the dragon. He watched her unblinkingly just as he had been throughout the entire conversation but made no visible reaction. "What?! Guardian? But-"
Aang put his hand on her shoulder to calm her. This the dragon did respond to, shifting his gaze to eye Aang warily.
Aang chuckled at the reaction. "He has clearly chosen you. For what purpose, I don't yet know. But you are bonded."
"Bonded?" she stammered. "But I- I-"
Aang laughed and patted her shoulder comfortingly. "You will get used to it. I've had the privilege of bonding with several flying bison in my life, and it is a transformative experience. Trust me."
She nodded uncertainly and Aang removed his hand. The dragon leaned further into her, golden eyes closing contentedly.
Katara had been trying to think of a name for the dragon since Aang had told her she was bonded to him a few days ago, but none seemed quite right. Spending time alongside him she felt as if he was a person just like her. He acted like a human, albeit a large one, and she felt like she knew him in and out despite the fact that he couldn't talk.
She spoke to him often and he always listened intently. He slept curled around her bed and sulked when she left him alone for too long. She was certain he already had a name, but there was no way for her to know for sure what it was. Unable to explain why, she decided to call him Zuko. It seemed right for some reason. She wondered if he'd told her somehow.
Zuko seemed eager to fly when Aang suggested Katara ride him instead of traveling by ship back to the Southern Water Tribe. He'd flapped his wings in anticipation and nudged her in excitement as if he'd been waiting for her to take him flying. Katara had been uncertain at first, but she had quickly given in to Aang's pleas and Zuko's whining and had flown with Zuko.
It was different than she expected. She thought she'd be cold and uncomfortable as the wind whipped at her, but he seemed to radiate warmth, and Katara fit over the ridges on his back like he'd been made to support her. They practiced flying around Ba Sing Se often, and after a few weeks Aang declared that Katara and Zuko were ready to travel further.
They flew across the Earth Kingdom, stopping for a few days in Gaoling to visit Toph, the Earth Kingdom emissary. Zuko mostly ignored Toph, which was an improvement over his actively avoiding strangers in Ba Sing Se. He sat between the two women while they talked and curled his tail territorially around Katara, but at least he didn't growl at her like he would sometimes do when he felt that Avatar Aang had gotten too close to Katara.
Toph found his behavior hilarious. "It's like you two are married," she snorted as Zuko settled his head in Katara's lap to get her attention back on him and nudged at her stomach to ask for pets. He was surprisingly clingy for such a solitary creature.
Katara scoffed even as her hand automatically reached down to stroke the smooth scales on Zuko's head. "We're not married, we're just... bonded."
Toph smirked. "Like there's a difference."
Zuko lounged on the rocks next to Katara as she did her laundry in the river, resting his head next to her and watching as she cleaned her clothes. He flicked his tail in the water to splash her every once in a while and she scolded him, but she wasn't really mad. It was all wet already anyways, so what did it matter?
After she finished washing her clothes, Katara pulled her tunic over her head and tossed it onto the rocks, wading further into the river clad only in her underwrappings. Zuko watched curiously as she dunked her hair in the water and began combing through it with her fingers. She looked over her shoulder and beckoned him towards her. "Come in, Zuko. You need a bath, too."
He tentatively skimmed his tail over the water to test the temperature, then waded in so that he was technically in the water but still near to the edge. Katara laughed as she waded closer to him, booping him on the nose. He went cross-eyed and she laughed even harder. "You're such a baby," she said as she began unwinding her breast bindings.
Zuko snorted warm air at her, blowing Katara's freshly combed hair into disarray. She scoffed at him. "You're only proving my point," she said, tossing her breast bindings to shore and starting on her lower bindings.
He splashed water at her but she intercepted it midair and waterbent it back at him. She laughed as he tried to shake the water off of himself and threw the rest of her bindings to shore, submerging herself in the water and swimming further out.
Zuko followed her, as Katara had expected he would, and attempted to retaliate by splashing back, but he was quite literally out of his element and quickly gave up, sulking in the water as she finished bathing and sullenly following her out when she was done.
Chief Hadoka was certainly surprised to see his daughter arrive home atop a dragon, but he wasted little time worrying about it.
The village held a feast to celebrate Katara's return with all the foods she'd missed since she'd been traveling. It was her first time being officially recognized as an adult by her tribe. She spoke of her travels and shared the story of how she'd found Zuko, the aforementioned dragon laying off to the side and only half listening to the chatter at the table as he enjoyed his own meal of seal meat.
Hadoka had several marriage proposals he wanted Katara to consider, the main one being a noble from their sister tribe in the North. "You're an adult now," he said over the chatter. "It's time for you to get married. Think of what we could accomplish by linking our tribes."
Katara frowned but tried to maintain her composure. "What about Sokka?" she quipped. Her brother choked on his imported wine and looked over at her, motioning for her to drop the subject. Katara ignored him. "He's the older sibling and he's not married. Why should I be?"
Hearing the quiver in her voice, Zuko abandoned his half-finished meal to shuffle closer and press up against her seated form, putting his head in her lap to try and comfort her.
"Your brother is training to become chief," Hadoka replied harshly. Everyone stopped talking as Hadoka raised his voice and the assembled crowd went dead silent. "He will have time later to marry. You are constantly traveling." Hadoka leaned forward and put his hand on her shoulder firmly. "We need to bond with our sister tribe. We don't have time to wait for your brother. It must be you."
"Why?!" Katara demanded, rising to her feet so that she was above her father. "Why do we need to bond with our sister tribe so urgently?!"
"Because we are in danger!" Hadoka yelled, standing angrily to look down at her. "Dragons," he spat, pointing accusingly at Zuko, "have been attacking the Earth Kingdom, and it won't be long until they start attacking us! We need allies, Katara!"
Katara shrunk back from her father and he fell silent, realizing that he'd just yelled at his own daughter. Hadoka's brows knit together in regret and he reached out to her, but she shrugged him off. "I understand," she said, voice trembling as she tried not to cry. Sokka stood up and tried to comfort her but she stepped away from him as well.
"It's fine," Katara whispered, backing away from them. Zuko nudged his head under her hand to comfort her and she looked down at him in silent thanks, composing herself. She lifted her head up stiffly and looked at her father, who seemed genuinely regretful to have to ask this of her. She knew he was just trying to do what was best for their tribe. Even if what was best for the tribe wasn't what Katara wanted.
"I'll be fine," Katara said, voice normal again. "I just need some time to think."
She turned and walked away, her brisk pace quickly turning into a jog, and then an all out sprint. Zuko ran alongside her and nudged her onto his back, taking off as soon as her arms were wrapped securely around him. Katara held onto him as they flew away and buried her face in the warm scales of his neck, sobbing uncontrollably.
Zuko landed after a few minutes and Katara slid off his back, wiping her eyes and looking around. The cold air stung her cheeks where they were still damp with tears. He'd flown her away from her village to an unoccupied part of the North Pole where they could be alone.
Katara let out a breathy laugh, stroking his scales affectionately, and leaned against him, glad to feel the solid warmth of his presence. Those luminescent golden eyes looked back at her with understanding.
"At least I have you," she said.
Katara raised her arms and used her bending to create an igloo around them that would cover them both during the night and keep them insulated and out of the harsh winter winds. She pulled her furs out of Zuko's saddlebag and laid them down to use as blankets. She stripped off her outer layers so she'd be as warm as possible in her insulated furs through the night and climbed into her makeshift bed. The familiar weight and warmth brought sorely needed comfort after so long away from home and such a tense reunion with her family.
Zuko nuzzled under her furs to curl protectively around her. She fell asleep with her face still wet with tears and his warmth surrounding her.
Katara woke up and turned sleepily towards the warmth radiating from Zuko, snuggling into him without opening her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, his breath blowing warmly over her hair. She opened her eyes and slowly blinked up at him. His yellow eyes were wide open and watching her, but something wasn't quite right. He was a human and not a dragon, his tough armor-like scales replaced by soft ivory skin.
She smiled, still half asleep, and snuggled against him. "What a lovely dream," she whispered against his chest, so faint he didn't even hear her. She fell back asleep as he stroked his fingers over her hair, certain she'd had this dream before.
Katara felt odd when she woke again, as if something was off. Fragments of her dream remained in her head, and it still felt like she was snuggled up against someone. She could almost feel his arms still wrapped around her. Actually, she could feel his arms wrapped around her. And his chest pressed against her where he'd rolled over to rest with his body half on top of hers. And his- she stiffened. She didn't want to think about the part of him pressed against her thigh.
She refused to open her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, hoping this would turn out to be a continuation of that lovely dream and not real life. It wasn't. He shifted next to her and snuggled closer, nuzzling his face into the soft skin of her neck as he tightened his hold around her waist. He whispered her name in a voice that was unfairly raspy considering the warmth pooling between her legs in response to his proximity.
Katara gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut tighter, then gave in and opened her eyes. Zuko's eyes looked back at her from a human face with that same scar she was so familiar with. Katara shut her eyes again. "This isn't real," she whispered, shaking her head. This whole situation was insane and it was too early in the morning to deal with it. "This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real."
"Yes it is," he whispered, stroking his warm fingers up and down her back.
His morning wood shifted dangerously close to Katara's inner thigh and she whimpered, turning her head away from him and squeezing her legs together in a futile attempt to ignore the effect he was having on her.
"It's okay," he whispered, oblivious to the source of her discomfort. "It's just me."
"No it's not," she whispered back, trying and failing to think of something other than how his naked body was currently pressed against her. "Zuko's a dragon, not a human." She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to wake up and snap out of this strange dream where her dragon companion was suddenly a very attractive young man. "This isn't real, This isn't real, this isn't-"
He petted her face softly like she'd done to him so many times, his hands warm and calloused. "It's me," Zuko whispered as he stroked his fingers gently over Katara's cheeks to soothe her. "It's just me."
Katara shook her head again, eyes still closed. She wasn't ready to open them. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I did," Zuko replied quietly. "The first night we spent together."
Katara ignored the way his poorly phrased words sent a pulse of warmth through her. "Then why did you stay a dragon?" she asked.
"I prefer that form," Zuko answered simply. "But you seemed upset, so I took this form for you."
Katara opened her eyes and finally looked at him head on, staring into those eyes that she knew so well. "But why? Why now? Why not before?"
Zuko curved his body further over hers, propping himself up on his elbows, and smiled softly. Katara squeaked in surprise and tried to ignore the fact that his erection was now not only touching her, but trapped between them and pressed against her stomach. He clearly didn't realize how suggestive the position they were in was, continuing to talk as if everything were normal.
"You were upset that your father wanted you to mate with a stranger," he said, not recognizing the irony of saying this while lying completely naked on top of her. "So I decided we could mate."
Katara blushed furiously and glanced to the side so that she didn't have to look into this new human version of Zuko's eyes because Gods, she was uncomfortably aroused right now considering until this morning she's thought Zuko was just a dragon, and the intensity in his golden eyes was only making it worse.
Zuko cocked his head to the side curiously, not understanding what was wrong. "It makes sense," he explained, "Then you will have both a mate and an ally, like he wants, and you'll stay with me. It'll be just like before."
Katara shook her head and finally made a move to separate herself from him. She pushed at Zuko's chest so that he would roll off of her, sitting up and scooting away from him. Her chest heaved as she tried to calm her breathing and her pulse beat erratically. He looked hurt that she'd pushed him away, but he stayed on his side of the furs like she wanted him to.
Katara took a deep breath to even out her breathing and composed herself, trying not to let her mind linger on the parts of his anatomy she had felt against her. "I can't concentrate with you like that," she said.
"Like what?"
"Like... that," Katara replied uncomfortably, glancing pointedly at the furs covering the lower half of Zuko's body. He still looked confused. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair nervously and looked away. "Naked," she clarified.
He furrowed his brow. "Why?" he asked. "I'm always naked. Why was it okay before and not now?"
"It just is, okay. I can't have a naked man in my bed, especially not if all I'm wearing is my bindings."
He frowned. "But it was okay when we bathed together, and you were naked as well. We both were."
Katara groaned in frustration and covered her face with her hands, trying to think of a way to say this that Zuko would understand. "That was okay because you were a dragon, but if you're a human it's a completely different situation. Humans only spend time together naked when they're having sex." He looked at her blankly. "When they're... mating," she specified, watching as understanding spread across his face.
"But we are mates," Zuko said, now understanding her flustered state but still completely missing the point.
"No we're not," Katara said, turning away from him and pulling her tunic on. "I don't know what we are anymore but we aren't- we can't be- mates. You're not a human, and besides, the whole reason my father wants me to marry is so that our alliance with the Northern tribes will be stronger. Getting married to you wouldn't solve anything."
"But I can be an ally, too," Zuko protested. "I can help protect you from my family. I can keep you safe."
She turned around, eyes wide. "Your family?"
Zuko nodded. "The dragons attacking the Earth Kingdom. My father is the emperor of dragons. He is very angry and powerful. He and Azula are the ones who attacked me and drove me away from home because I didn't want to kill the group of humans that came upon our nest. I don't know why they're attacking people outside of our home now, but I can help you fight them." He scooted closer, glad when she didn't move away again. "I can keep you safe."
Katara stood up and pulled her leggings on underneath her tunic. "Okay..." she said hesitantly, pulling her fur lined pants over her leggings as she spoke. "We can... talk about it. But first we have to go back to the village." She wrapped her parka around herself and tugged her hood over her hair. "Turn back into a dragon so we can fly back, and then we can get you some clothes so you can talk to my father about the threat your family poses."
Sokka was surprised when his little sister asked if she could borrow some of his clothes, but he let her and Zuko into his igloo and helped her search for something that would fit. After they'd found enough clothes, she stepped outside and told Sokka to stay and help Zuko.
He looked at her oddly and started to follow her out, but she stopped him and shook her head. "I have dealt with nudity enough today. Don't make your little sister dress a naked man."
Sokka's jaw dropped. "What?! Who did you-" He turned abruptly as he heard a grunting noise coming from inside and rushed back into the igloo, screaming in surprise as he stumbled upon a vey naked, very human, Zuko trying unsuccessfully to put on a shirt. "Your dragon's a person?!" he sputtered. "And why is he naked?!"
"He's always naked," Katara answered from outside matter-of-factly. Now that the shock had worn off somewhat she could find some humor in the situation. "It's just never been a problem before because he was in his dragon form."
"Well I have a problem with this," Sokka griped, averting his eyes as best he could. "This guy is always around you," he continued, tossing the pants at Zuko and hoping he wouldn't have to assist in putting them on.
Zuko held up the pants and tried to pull them over his legs like he'd seen Katara do with hers. He lost his balance almost immediately and fell. "A little help would be nice," he said.
Sokka froze. "He talks?!"
Zuko huffed and continued yanking the pants up. He'd managed to get both legs through by now and was pulling them up over his knees. "Of course I talk," he replied as he pulled the pants the rest of the way up.
Sokka turned around, relieved to see Zuko's lower region completely covered.
"Are his pants on?" Katara asked. "I can help if his pants are already on."
"No!" Sokka said, rushing to Zuko and shoving a shirt over his head in case Katara was planning on coming back in. "I will not have my little sister's innocence sullied."
"But she already saw me," Zuko said as Sokka pushed his arms into the sleeves of a parka.
"What?! Katara!?"
"I didn't, I swear!" Katara replied defensively even as her face heated at the memory of that morning. And she hadn't seen him fully, technically, but she'd certainly felt him. "He was covered by the furs," she amended. Sokka didn't need to know all the details.
Sokka huffed and shoved Zuko out the door, stepping between him and Katara and wrapping an arm protectively around her. "Stay away from my sister," he commanded.
Katara rolled her eyes and checked Zuko's clothing to make sure he had everything on. "Calm down, Sokka." She noticed Zuko wasn't wearing any footwear. "And go get him boots. He can't walk around barefoot."
Zuko looked down at his toes as if he'd just noticed he was standing in snow.
Hadoka had never seen this man before, but he knew right away that something was off about him. He was unnaturally pale and and carried himself in a way that didn't seem quite right. "Who are you?" he asked, looking to his children for an explanation.
Katara bit her lip. "Dad... this is Zuko."
"Your dragon?" Hadoka asked, looking more closely at the man his daughter had introduced. Upon further inspection Hadoka realized this man was wearing Sokka's clothes. They didn't fit him quite right and his pants appeared to be put on backwards. His eyes were the same yellow as the dragon's and his facial scar was remarkably similar.
"Explain," Hadoka said sharply, standing up and approaching them.
"The dragons that have been attacking the Earth Kingdom are my father and sister," Zuko said quietly, turning to Katara. She nodded her head and gestured for him to continue. "They drove me away, but I can help you fight them." He rubbed his neck nervously. "My uncle left a few years ago, but I'm sure if I find him he'll help as well. He doesn't get along with my father because he believes we should live in peace with the humans."
Hadoka nodded, lost in thought. As strange as this was, he didn't want to waste time freaking out. Katara believed this man and Hadoka had no reason to doubt her. "We need to make a plan. I'll send word to the Earth Kingdom that aid is on the way. Hopefully you two can help to end this threat to the three kingdoms."
Sokka insisted Zuko sleep in a separate igloo from Katara so she didn't see him much over the next few days as he answered all her father's questions and gave him as much information as he could about dragons before they left. They flew from the South Pole to what remained of the Fire Nation to search for Zuko's uncle.
They spent the whole day silently flying over everything searching for signs of life without any success. They gave up an hour after sunset because it was too dark to see anything and settled into a cave for the night to sheild themselves from the elements.
Zuko took his human form and quickly changed into the clothes she'd packed for him, telling her when it was safe to turn around. Katara still hadn't worked through how she felt about what had happened between them, but she'd at least cooled down enough where she didn't feel like jumping Zuko every time she caught a glimpse of him as he changed. He'd gotten much better at putting his clothes on in the last couple of days and didn't even need help with pulling on a shirt anymore.
Katara watched as Zuko gathered some wood into a haphazard pile in the middle of the cave and used firebending to light it.
She looked at him in surprise. "You're a firebender? I thought you could only breathe fire as a dragon."
Zuko shrugged and rifled through their pack, pulling out some seal jerky and tossing it to Katara. "Uncle said dragons were the first firebenders."
"And why are you able to change forms? Can everyone in your family do that?"
"We don't do it often, but we all have the ability. My father said it was because the Gods created us to be rulers of both men and dragons. Uncle said it was so we could share our knowledge with the humans and live in harmony with them."
"I haven't met him yet, but so far I like your uncle way better than your father."
"Well thank you," Iroh said as he stepped into the cave. Katara started to turn towards his voice then abruptly looked away, which turned out to be a good call. Like his nephew so often seemed to be, Iroh was completely naked.
Zuko rushed to his uncle and embraced him. "Uncle! We've been looking all over for you!"
"I'm sorry you didn't find me sooner," Iroh chuckled, "but I found you, so I guess it worked out." He glanced at Katara, who was still averting her gaze in embarrassment. "And who is this lovely young lady?"
"My mate," Zuko replied happily. Katara frowned but didn't comment on his use of the word. "She likes clothes," Zuko added, gesturing to his own. "I'll get you pants, then she can talk to you."
Iroh laughed good naturedly and complied, pulling on the pants as Zuko demonstrated. "All right, I'm dressed now," he said as he sat on the other side of the fire across from Katara. "It's been so long since I spent time with humans. I forgot how fixated they were on covering themselves up. I hope I didn't offend you."
Katara smiled at his considerate apology. "It's fine, I understand. I'm just glad you found us. Your brother and niece have been attacking the Earth Kingdom, and we could use your help in stopping them."
Iroh shook his head and frowned. "I shouldn't have left them. Ozai always did have a temper and a hunger for power. I just couldn't stay around him. Ursa used to calm him, but ever since he killed her..." He gazed sadly at Zuko's scar. "I'm sorry, nephew. I should have taken you with me. My greatest regret is leaving you behind with him."
Zuko sighed. "I chose to stay, it's not your fault. I just wanted him to be proud of me. Like he was proud of Azula. But I could never be the son he wanted."
"Well I'm proud of you," Iroh said. "You've grown into a fine young man and I know you'll far surpass him. Harmony is a much more powerful tool than tyranny. It's his loss that he can't see the value of compassion. Now, let's make a plan."
Katara and Zuko sat in pensive silence long after Iroh's departure for the night, thinking about the challenge to come and the danger they would face. Zuko's father and sister were formidable foes the likes of which Katara had never faced and Zuko had never triumphed against. His scars were a record of the violence his family was willing to inflict on one of their own, and Katara was scared to see what they would do to the humans they thought inferior to themselves. There was no way of knowing if they would succeed but they had to try.
Katara was broken from her contemplative mood when Zuko leaned towards her and tentatively petted her cheek.
She looked up at him and smiled softly but didn't pull away. The gesture was odd but she didn't mind it. "What are you doing?"
"Showing affection," he answered, scooting his body closer to hers so their legs touched.
Katara snorted in amusement and took his hands in her own. "You're petting me."
"That's what you do to show me affection."
"When you're a dragon," Katara replied. "Humans don't pet each other. Well, not like that anyways."
Zuko leaned closer, the warmth of his body so close she could almost feel it. "Then how do humans show affection to their mates?"
Katara's laugh quieted and she cupped Zuko's face. She looked into his golden eyes and bit her lip indecisively, unsure if she would regret this later. After a moment of hesitation she leaned forward and briefly pressed her lips to his. "Like this."
Zuko closed the final distance between their bodies and met her lips again tentatively, softly, lingering longer than she had. "Like that?" he asked uncertainly.
Katara nodded and wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck, planting her knees on either side of his hips and moving to straddle him. His hands came up and cautiously rested on her hips as she leaned into him. "Just follow my lead," Katara whispered, tangling her fingers through his hair and pressing herself flush against him.
Zuko looked up at Katara in wonder as she leaned down to kiss him again, watching as her eyelids fluttered closed, her dark lashes brushing her cheeks. He moved his mouth against hers, keeping his eyes open to gaze at her while they kissed and gasping in pleasant surprise when Katara's lips split open and crashed against his. Zuko imitated her as she deepened the kiss, quickly growing more confident as he figured out how this worked and what she wanted.
Katara usually felt cool to the touch but right now her mouth was like liquid fire filling Zuko's lungs and slowly melting him from the inside out. He couldn't quite catch his breath and it was too hot but he couldn't seem to make himself care. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed himself as close to her heat as possible. Katara rolled her hips against him, and he froze, unsure what to do. She broke away for air and opened her eyes, smiling down at him, her face flushed and her eyes half closed. "Do you want to stop?"
Zuko shook his head No and Katara smiled, rolling her hips against him again. He shuddered as she did so and she smirked, pulling her tunic over her head and discarding it. She was glad it was warm here. It meant less layers of clothing between them. She tugged at Zuko's arms and he raised them, allowing her to yank his shirt off and toss it aside. He watched transfixed as she unwound her breast bindings and they fell to the ground.
Katara felt herself heat further at his awestruck expression and leaned forward to kiss him again, guiding his hands up to her chest. She pulled back and studied his face as he gently cupped her breasts, staring at her reverently as if she were the only person in the world.
"I love you so much," Zuko whispered, gazing up at her face with undying devotion.
He looked so vulnerable Katara thought she might have been looking straight through those golden eyes and into his soul. She kissed his scar gently and smiled, allowing herself to say it back and meaning it. "I love you, too."
When Katara woke the next morning Iroh was outside the cave. He and Zuko were both in their dragon forms and swirling around majestically through the air. Katara marveled at Iroh's size. Zuko may have seemed large compared to her, but Iroh dwarfed them both tenfold. Iroh's head must have been at least twice as large as she was. He was magnificent, his scales a pale shimmering green that reminded her of tea leaves.
Katara quickly packed their belongings in her saddlebags and stepped out to greet the two dragons. Zuko nuzzled against her face affectionately and Iroh bowed his head in greeting. It was time to go.
They set out for the Earth Kingdom and after only a few hours of searching found a smoking trail of destruction which they followed to Ozai and Azula.
The town they landed in was a smoldering wreckage. There were signs of defensive Earth Bending all around, but no people. The inhabitants of this town had all either fled or been killed. Either way they were no longer fighting the invaders.
Ozai and Azula lounged about the ruins proudly surveying the destruction they'd caused. Azula was slightly larger than Zuko with deep blue scales and a sleeker build. Ozai was Iroh's size, his scales pitch black and his eyes burning with unrestrained malice. As Zuko approached his father, Ozai scrutinized Katara sat atop his back, his lips peeling back into a sneer that made his sharp teeth very apparent.
Katara watched in silence as Ozai's face shifted though a range of emotions. She knew Zuko and his father were communicating mentally but as a human she had no way of hearing what was said between them.
Katara felt Zuko tense beneath her as his father grew angrier and angrier. Azula stood next to her father, waiting for his command to attack her brother. Ozai narrowed his eyes and roared, signaling that the battle had begun. Zuko flew back as Azula darted forward to attack him and Iroh surged towards Ozai, a wave of fire pouring forth from between his bared teeth.
Azula and Zuko flew higher and higher until they were far above Ozai and Iroh. They spewed flames and slashed at each other with their claws. Katara clung to Zuko with one arm and used the other to bend water at Azula. Zuko and his sister were unevenly matched, Azula's flames a vibrant blue. She was the more skilled fighter and Katara was starting to worry that Zuko would be gravely injured and they'd fall out of the sky.
Down below Ozai and Iroh were at a stand still. Iroh was clearly the stronger brother, but he seemed to be holding back because he didn't want to kill Ozai. They were both covered in blood and surrounded by a haze of smoke. Ozai struck at Iroh, clenching his teeth around his brother's neck. They writhed around as Iroh fought to regain the upper hand, ramming Ozai into a building until he let go. Ozai lunged forward just as the building he'd been rammed into collapsed, crushing him.
Seeing his father down, Zuko froze for a split second, giving Azula enough time to blast him in the chest. He fell out of the air and she slammed him against the ground, Katara pinned underneath him. Azula sneered down at her brother, mouth spewing sparks as she prepared to deliver the killing blow. Katara's eyes widened in fear but just as Azula was about to kill her brother Iroh's tail hit her pressure points and she collapsed on top of them.
Iroh nudged Azula off of them and Zuko righted himself, allowing Katara to slide out from under him. She looked at the smoldering wreckage Ozai had been buried under for a few seconds, then turned to Zuko and wrapped her arms around him. His tail curled around her and they stood in silence, battered and bruised but still alive. The battle was over, and they'd won.
Katara knelt next to Zuko and healed his wounds. It hadn't been as apparent in his dragon form, but now that he was a human she could see that besides the wound on his chest many large bruises had formed all over his back from smashing into the ground and his face and chest were littered with cuts and burns from his fight with Azula. Katara had received some minor wounds well but none of them were serious enough for immediate concern so she ignored them.
Zuko hadn't spoken a word to her since his father's death. He'd transformed when she asked and sat down patiently while she tended to his wounds without saying anything. He was in shock. He seemed lost, as if he were staring into nothing. She supposed he was trying to wrap his head around Ozai's death. Or maybe he was trying to figure out how to grieve; Ozai had been his father after all. But Katara didn't ask. Not yet.
Zuko was lost in his own mind and she was focused on the task of healing him. She slowly and methodically worked her way around his body tending to his injuries, using her healing ability as she had when they first met. She was exhausted but pushed through until she felt like she would soon collapse.
Katara checked Zuko one last time to make sure she'd gotten everything major then allowed herself to slump over him where he lay cradled in her lap. Her body felt heavy and she wanted to give in to her exhaustion but she couldn't yet. He was as physically healed as she could manage for now but he hadn't yet truly come back to her. His expression was vacant and his eyes looked right through her without seeing her.
Katara bent down and cupped his face in her hands. She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs, searching his golden eyes for signs of recognition as she murmured soft assurances that it was over and they were both okay. After what felt like an eternity Zuko's eyes finally focused and he saw her. His face twitched and all of a sudden he seemed to break.
Tears streamed down his cheeks and he choked out a sob. Katara pulled Zuko against her and cradled him in her arms, murmuring softly. He clutched her tightly and sobbed into her shoulder. She curled herself around him protectively like he always did for her and stroked his back soothingly. There wasn't much she could do now, but if staying with him through his pain would help, she was more than willing to do it.
They sat like that for hours until Zuko tired himself out and fell asleep in her arms. She followed soon after, and they woke in the morning still together, their furs spread out over them in the night by Iroh.
"Are you okay?" Katara whispered, brushing Zuko's hair out of his eyes. They were tired and rimmed with red but still alert.
He nodded slightly but she could tell his heart wasn't in it. "I'll be fine," he replied. And maybe it didn't seem like it was true now, but eventually it would be. Eventually things could be good again. Better, even.
Katara smiled sadly and pressed a kiss against the new scar on Zuko's chest. "We'll get through this together," she said, wrapping her arms around him.
He curled into her. "Promise you won't leave me."
Katara nodded. "I'll always be with you. You're my mate."